Apostolos Papastamos has won gold at the 2024 European Championships, recording a top-10 time in the world.
The Greek swimmer set the ninth-fastest time in the world this year, with 4:10.83 to win by nearly a second.
The medal win earned Papastamos a second Olympic berth.
“My last personal best was four years ago so it is very special for me,” he said after his win.
“I did my best, it was a very good time, I made the Olympic A cut. So now we are looking forward to Paris and the Olympic Games and I hope the best for it.”
In the men’s 400 individual medley, the 23-year-old was fifth in prelims but was nearly five seconds quicker in the finals. That would’ve been good for bronze at the 2024 World Championships.
Greece also had a fourth place, with Daniil Giortzidis.
Papastamos beat his national record of 4:11.93, which he had used to win the 2019 World Junior Championship.
The Crete native admitted it was a big relief to make the Olympic cut with less than a week to go before the window closes.
“It was very hard because I am trying over four years to make it so I have downs and ups and downs and ups so it was my time and it is very beautiful,” he said.
“It is amazing to do it for Greece, for young swimmers in Greece so I hope to be an inspiration for all of them.”
Elsewhere at the European Championships, Stergios Marios Bilas led the way in the men’s 50 butterfly semi-finals with a time of 23.06 for Greece.
In women’s 100 free semi-finals, Cyprus’ Kalia Antoniou finished fourth.
